ICRC in dialogue with conflicting parties – ICRC Armenia office rep

Hasmik Galstyan, Spokesperson for the Delegation of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Armenia, commented on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ statement on Azerbaijan’s attempted incursion into the Armenian territory, wherein the Co-Chairs also urged the return, without delay, of human remains, in accord with the agreements of the Astrakhan Summit of 2010, bearing in mind the exclusively humanitarian nature of this issue.

“The ICRC is currently holding a dialogue with both the parties. Secret negotiations are in progress, and we cannot reveal the content. As a neutral side, we are ready at any moment, when the parties reach an agreement, to be present at the handover of remains,” she said.

As to whether a previous call for such a dialogue was made and anything has changed since, Ms Galstyan said:

“We are working in our standard style and the process is under way.”

On December 29, 2016, Azerbaijan’s armed forces attempted to infiltrate through Armenia’s north-eastern border defense posts (south-west of Chinari village, Tavush region) in the early hours of Thursday.